Impact of Dental Therapists on Productivity and Finances: I. Literature Review

This study examined the financial impact of dental therapists on Federally Qualified Health Center dental clinics (treating children) and on private general dental practices (treating children and adults). This article, the first of four on this subject, reviews the dental therapy literature and the dental access problem for low-income children. Dental therapists now practice in many developed countries, tribal areas of Alaska, and Minnesota. These allied dental professionals vary in their training and required dentist supervision, but all provide routine restorative and other related services to children and adults. The limited literature on the impact of dental therapists suggests that they work mainly in school and community clinics and some private practices, are well accepted by patients, provide restorations that are comparable in quality to those of dentists, expand the supply of services, do not increase private practices' net revenues, and in school programs decrease the number of untreated decayed teeth. Of the approximately 33.8 million children enrolled in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), some 40 percent now receive at least one annual dental visit. To increase utilization for all children to 60 percent-the rate seen in children from upper-income families-another 6.7 million children need to receive care; dental therapists may help to accomplish that objective. Dr. Bailit is Professor Emeritus, Department of Community Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center; Dr. Beazoglou is Professor, Department of Craniofacial Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center; Ms. DeVitto is Administrative Manager, University of Connecticut Health Center Finance Corporation; Ms. McGowan is Research Assistant, Department of Community Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center; and Ms. Myne-Joslin is a data analyst, Cromwell, CT. Direct correspondence and requests for reprints to Dr. Howard Bailit, Department of Community Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT 06030; 860-679-5487; Bailit@nsol.uchc.edu.